The tigeress sleeps
by Sapphire1112
Summary: Two-parter. Nikki tries to solve a case on her own. I do not own the characters. I am not a doctor, so I apologise if some of my facts are not completely correct.
1. Chapter 1

_I did it for Jack._

It was stupid and reckless – something he will _never_ stop telling me, probably for as long as I live. I'd like to say that it seemed like a good idea at the time. Or that it was a solitary moment of madness, but the truth is that, at the time, it seemed like a _terrible_ idea and I was _perfectly_ sound of mind – albeit stupid as I have already confessed.

I'm not _blaming_ Jack for my actions – although I know he will blame himself anyway because he blames himself for everything regardless of whose fault it is. He even blames himself if it was nobody's fault. He's like a magnet for blame.

What happened resulted entirely from my _own_ decision and as I said, I was aware that it was a terrible idea, but at that moment, it was the _only_ idea I had.

And like I said, _I did it for Jack._

He was so frustrated with the case – tearing his hair out. He had no DNA, fingerprints, bootprints or anything else. He was getting nowhere. Everyone was pretty _sure_ that the suspect was the person we were looking for, but there was no evidence to tie them to it – none at all. So I laid a honey trap – and it worked, I just didn't get out of there in time. I got Jack the evidence he needed. Sure, I put myself in danger and nearly got killed – but what else is new?

My _intentions_ weren't to get myself in danger – my plan went wrong, but it was how I acted _after_ the plan went wrong that everyone is upset about.

When it came down to it, I had this man towering over me and his lackeys all around. I was in _far_ too deep and there was no way out of there – not in _one piece_ anyway – and I just thought, _what was the point?_ I came here to get evidence – to find a _breakthrough_ for Jack and now they were going to beat me without leaving any. I was _never_ going to let that happen, so I _chose_ to focus on getting some DNA evidence from them rather than trying to defend myself. If they killed me in the process – fine, but I was going to make _damn sure_ they got caught.

 _Let them have a baptism of fire._

So I _scratched_ and _bit_ for all I was worth – I think I managed to get a bite of _all_ of them, but it wasn't to protect myself and eventually they _worked out_ what I was doing and scarped, leaving me there, _bruised, bleeding and broken_ in that dark alley.

With hindsight, they could have done something even _more_ terrible to get rid of the evidence I'd got. They could have mutilated me – cut my hands off or burnt my face off or something. I've seen that done to victims _many_ times before, so it's very lucky that they weren't thinking straight.

When they left me there I was badly beaten – floating in and out of conscientious, so I don't remember much after that. I was very lucky that a young man found me and called an ambulance. I'm told that he's a student and was quite drunk but he was with it enough to know that I needed help.

 _ **(A number of hours earlier...)**_

As I make the transition from reality to black and back again, trying my best to keep a grasp on the former, my heavy mind drifts to my best friend – who I _know_ is waiting for me in the pub along with Thomas, Clarissa and her husband. I said I had something to do and would meet them after. It seems rather _silly_ now – did I _really_ think I'd do this without getting caught? It was always unlikely that I'd just pop off, find some evidence and pop back to the pub as though nothing had happened.

 _I should have taken backu_ _p or at least told someone where I was going._

The voices in the ambulance seem _strange_ and _foreign_ to me. Being a doctor, I _should_ be able to understand them but I don't - and other than repeatedly muttering...

" _Jack...need Jack..._ _Jack Hodgson...Lyell centre...tell him I'm sorry..._ "

...in an attempt to remind _myself_ \- more than anyone else, _who_ I am, I _only_ understand my own thoughts. I think of the four of them sat there _wondering_ – _worrying_. I wonder how the hospital will find them – the goons took my phone, so I couldn't call for help. _Maybe I'm the goon._

As I'm wheeled through the corridors, I think of _Jack_ getting the phone call from the hospital – and what it's going to do to him. I think about what it did to _me_ when Thomas phoned me and said that someone had tried to _kill_ Jack. I think of the phone calls Jack and I shared in Mexico – the contents of which is something we've never shared with _anyone else_. I think of how _strained_ our relationship was when we came back from there.

 _I can_ _'t_ _believe I've done this to him_ – put him through _hell_ again. He doesn't _deserve_ it.

I'm not really aware of what's going on around me – _or_ how long it takes. I only know that it seems like a _very_ long time. Eventually, I hear his devastated voice yelling from somewhere...

" _Where is she? Where is she?..."_

 _I'm sorry, Jack. I'm really sorry._ But I've found the evidence – now it's _my_ turn for an ante-mortem.

And with that, I _lose_ my fight to stay conscious.

The four of them are sat around me when I come to. The process of coming around is slow and painful, as my mind and body try to come to terms with the feelings from the injuries I've sustained, so they aren't immediately alerted to my wakefulness.

I hurt all over from head to foot and I hear them talking – but at the moment their words don't mean a lot to me. I'm not conscious enough to _understand_ words yet.

"What the hell was she _doing_ there?" Jack exclaims, clearly upset.

Thomas sighs. "I don't know, Jack. We were all pretty frustrated that the case wasn't going anywhere, but _surely_ she wouldn't...? I don't know, Jack." He repeats. " _I just_ _don't know_."

I finally try to speak – but find that there's a tube in my mouth and I nearly choke instead.

Jack is immediately up by my side whispering soothingly. " _Shh-shh, it's ok. Take it easy._ " While Thomas rushes out to get a nurse.

Once the tube is removed, I find my voice is croaky and my throat dry. Jack helps me sip some water. "You have to take it _slowly_." He tells me. "Your body has been through a lot."

"There was _no evidence_." I manage to say eventually. What I did was pretty gormless and my admission doesn't go down well.

" _So you nearly got yourself killed on purpose?_ " Jack practically yells – leading the nurse to pop her head around the door again and ask me if I want him removed.

" _No_ " I say quickly, touching his his hand lightly. "He's fine."

"Well, see that you _calm_ _down_." She informs him. "Or I'll _have_ to call security."

She leaves again and Jack mutters. "I'm sorry – I didn't mean to shout, but you scared the _hell_ out of me!"

"I know." I tell him. "I didn't go there to get beaten up – _I just didn't get out in time._ I'm sorry that I didn't take _back up_ – I should have done."

"Or at least _told_ us where you were." Thomas comments. "We _only_ found out what had happened because apparently you mumbled something about _Jack_ and the _Lyell centre_ when you were in the ambulance. The hospital rang the Lyell and described you to one of the technicians – who rang me."

 _Well, I'm glad I managed to help them._

"Yes." I agree. "I _should_ have told you where I was going."

" _Or you should not have gone there at all._ " Jack adds – a little sharply, though his volume remains normal this time.

"That's not what's worrying us the most, Nikki." Thomas says quietly. "We did an ante-mortem on you and we found _a lot_ of evidence in your teeth and under your fingernails – but there was a significant _lack_ of defensive wounds, considering it was a frontal attack."

I can't help looking slightly guilty. They've probably _worked out_ that I chose the option of trying to get evidence rather than protecting myself – or if they haven't _they're about to._

"Defending yourself when you're under attack is normally more or less _automatic_." He continues, eyeing me suspiciously. " It takes a _conscious_ effort not to defend yourself if you're aware of what's happening. What's _worrying us_ – considering the _amount_ of evidence we found on you, is that you were so _fixated_ on getting the evidence that you _chose_ to do that rather than defending yourself. Please tell me I'm _wrong_ , Nikki."

I can't and I have no choice but to admit it. "It's not as _bad_ as it sounds." I state – unwilling to give a direct answer. "I was surrounded and I knew I wasn't going to get out of there in _one piece_. I just thought _'I_ _t was a stupid idea to come here, but if I don't get any evidence then it was all for nothing._ _'_ I'm sorry – I couldn't _see_ any other option at that point. They 'd _already_ smashed my phone and chucked it away. _I'm really sorry._ " I repeat touching Jack's hand again.

"Right." Clarissa announces taking charge – up to now, she and Max have let the two men do all the talking. "I think we should leave Nikki and Jack to talk – we'll just go and get some coffee."

"Ok." Thomas agrees as he and Max stand up and join Clarissa at the door. "We'll be back soon. I know you're _upset_ , but stay _calm_ , Jack – _please_."

When they gone out Jack asks me to _promise_ I won't do this again and then we choose not to talk of the matter further – opting instead to discuss all the things we are going to do when I get out of hospital. _Pizza_ is top of the list.

It's a _lovely_ conversation and we're both enjoying it, but after a while, my mind _clouds_ and I feel _confused_. I'm struggling to understand what he says – not his accent, but the actual _words_ don't make sense to me any more. It's _frightening_ and he can see there's something wrong. I grasp my head suddenly, groaning at the _intense_ pain that's just come upon me.

Jack shoots to his feet and hits the emergency button. A nurse hurries in.

" _She was fine – and then she wasn't._ " Jack stammers, not understanding what's happened.

"Do you have a headache?" The nurse asks me.

"Yeah." My words come out slurred. "Gonna be sick." I mumble. I am and Jack rubs my back afterwards.

 _That's the last thing I remember._


	2. Chapter 2

**Jack**

I'm collapsed in a seat outside the room when they come back. They're shocked to see me _crying_. It doesn't happen very often, but _I can't handle_ Nikki being ill – it happened so suddenly. I don't _understand_ fully what happened.

"They took her for another scan." I mutter. "She started _fitting_. I don't understand _why_ – she was fine one minute, then she _wasn't_."

Thomas sits down. "Tell me _exactly_ what happened."

"We were having a _lovely_ conversation – not even about the attack. She was talking about what she was going to do after she got out of hospital. Then after a while she started...looking really _confused_ – like she didn't _understand_ what I was saying. Then she was _slurring_ her words and holding her head like she was in a lot of pain. I got the nurse in and Nikki said she had a _headache_ and she was going to be sick. She threw up and then her eyes rolled back and she started fitting. They made me _leave_ the room at that point." I rub my hot face. "Eventually the nurse came out and said they were taking her for _another_ scan in case something hadn't shown up on the first one - and they wheeled her off."

"Sounds like the _head injury_." Thomas tells me calmly.

"Do you think it's cos I _shouted_ _at her_ when she woke up?" I stammer – terrified that I've made her even more ill.

" _Of course not, Jack._ " He answers with his 'doctor-head' on. "Head injuries are _notoriously_ hard to predict. It could have been a _lucid_ _interval_. They happen sometimes."

Nikki's brought back and having looked at her scans, doctors and nurses are busy in her room for a while. Eventually, the doctor comes out to talk to us.

"Dr Alexander's second scan showed that she has suffered swelling in her brain." He explains. "We have put her in an induced coma to aid her brain in it's recovery and we will monitor her to decide when it's safe to bring her out of the coma."

I sniff. "Can we see her?"

He nods. "I must warn you that this situation is _entirely_ individual – the process of her recovery could be quick _or_ slow."

She looks peaceful beyond the bruising that covers her, but I know she's in there fighting to get back – and she will -however long it takes.

I spend most of my time by her side – though Thomas encourages me to work a little stating that Nikki would want me to. There remains a police guard outside her hospital room until the case is resolved – just in case the suspect and his goons try to have another go at her.

The evidence she got more or less solves the case, but it's not much consolation to the rest of us.

I spend all my nights at the hospital and my days at work – though I struggle through because it's not where I _want_ to be. Thomas has me on half days – as he doesn't think it's helpful to either Nikki _or_ I for me to be _constantly_ waiting at her bedside.

"Once the swellings gone down sufficiently and they bring her out of the coma, she'll wake up when she's ready." Thomas tells me firmly – with all the care of a worried father – worried for _my_ well-being as well as Nikki's.

After just over a week, the doctor explains that the swelling is reducing nicely. They're thinking about taking her out of the coma – and then it will be up to her.

"What if she _doesn't_ wake up?" I mumble to Thomas. "What if she's not _Nikki_ any more?"

I want him to tell me _confidently_ that she'll wake up and be fine – that I'm worrying unnecessarily, but Thomas can't give me reassurance he doesn't have and he doesn't want to get my hopes up.

"We won't _know_ anything until they bring her out of the coma, Jack." He tells me quietly. "She got hit pretty hard in the attack – we've just got to _hope_."

I cover my face. " _Why_ did she have to try and solve it on her own? Why couldn't she just _leave it_?!"

Clarissa sighs. "Because she's _Nikki_ , Jack."

"If she _doesn't_ wake up or she's not _fine_ then I'm _leaving_." I snap. "I don't want to _be_ a forensic scientist any more."

Thomas, Max and Clarissa roll their eyes. They've had to tolerate my frequent mood swings and my sudden threats to _leave_ ever since Nikki was put in the coma.

The plans to take her out of the coma go ahead at the end of the week.

"You're aware that that she may not wake up _straight away_ , aren't you?" The doctor asks. "Sometimes when a patient's been in an induced coma for _more_ than 72 hours, it can take a bit longer."

We nod.

"I have to warn you that we also won't know whether she's suffered any _long term_ damage _until_ she's woken." He adds.

Then all we can do is _watch_ and _wait_.

It's a further _three_ days before she shows signs of waking up – though occasionally during that time, her eyes flicker behind her lids – or her hand twitches.

For Thomas – who's a doctor, it's expected but for the rest of us, it's _agonizing_ because we're filled with hope that she's going to wake up – and then she doesn't.

On the evening of the third day, the sweetest sound I've heard for a _long_ time drifts into my ears as I snore gently in the hospital chair I've become accustomed too.

" _Mmm_ " She mumbles as her surroundings become clearer. " _Huh_?"

"Hey!" I whisper leaning over her.

" _Oh, it's you._ " She mutters. " _Hi._ "

 _'Oh, it's you'?_ Is that a _positive_ response – or doesn't she _know_ who I am?

" _Hey_." I repeat, nervous in case it's the _second_. ""It's _me_." Not the most _helpful_ comment, I think later on – 'me' could be _anyone_!

"Yes, I can see that, Jack." She agrees still slightly groggy. "I was hoping to see _you_."

"You know _who_ I am then?" I ask hesitantly.

" _Yes, Jack_." She just about manages a smile. "I just feel a bit _weak_ , that's all. Have you got them yet?"

It takes me _a while_ to cotton on to what she's talking about. She's obviously not aware of _how long_ she's been out. "Yes. We got them." I inform her when I've worked it out. "I'm just going to tell the nurse you're awake." I explain going over to the door and poking my head out.

Nikki narrows her eyes at me when I return. "How _long_ have I been asleep?"

I swallow. " _Er...two weeks – three days._ "

She scrunches her face up as a nurse comes in. " _What?!_ "

"You had a _fit_ and they found _swelling_ in your brain." I tell her..

"Oh. _Induced coma?_ " She responds.

I chuckle delightedly. "Nothing _wrong_ with that head of yours then."

" _Hmm_." The nurse says. "How are you _feeling_ , Nikki?"

"Ok, thanks." She answers.

"Any _pain_?" The nurse asks.

She shakes her head. "I feel _weak_ and I _ache_ a bit – that's all."

"That's understandable – you haven't used your muscles in a while. Ok – I'll get the doctor to pop in. He'll want to order another scan to _check_ that you're ok." The nurse says, but Nikki is _far_ more interested in talking to me.

" _Clarissa and Thomas?_ " She asks.

"They'll be in later." I explain. "I should _probably_ tell them you're awake."

"Any minute now, I should think." The nurse comments on her way to the door. "It's visiting hours and they've been in _every day_...Oh, _speak of the devil!_ " She adds sweeping past Thomas, Clarissa and Max as she goes out the door. "Someone's been _asking_ for you!"

" _Nikki!_ " The three of them exclaim, thrilled to see her sat up and talking when they enter the room. "How _are_ you?"

"I'm _fine_." Nikki answers – right on form.

"You could have _told_ us she was awake!" Clarissa grumbles to me.

"We were talking." I protest. "And she hasn't _been_ awake that long."

"I'm right _here,_ you guys." Nikki points out. "I'm _right_ here!"

" _Yes, Nikki!_ " Thomas chuckles.

"It's just you've been like a _cute little_ _tigress_ sleeping for the past couple of weeks!" I remark fondly.

She raises her eyebrows at me. " _A_ _tigress_ _?!_ " She snorts at my sudden pet-name for her. If I'm honest, I don't know _where_ that came from – it just... _happened_! "Well, I suppose it could be _worse_!" She adds. "Hey - will you _teach_ me, Jack?"

I stare at her – and so do the others. _She thinks I'm a teacher._ We're suddenly worried that she's making _random_ comments – and therefore may _not_ be as 'ok' as we thought.

"You want to be a _forensic scientist_?" I stammer eventually – grasping at _any_ straw I can find, desperate to find avenue the suggests her comment is a perfectly _rational_ one.

She giggles. "No, Jack – I'm _perfectly_ happy being a pathologist, thank you. Will you teach me to _fight?_ "

" _Teach you to fight?_ " I repeat in surprise. She's always been so _against_ my cage-fighting hobby.

"Yeah." She nods. "It's just, you're so _good_ at it – I wouldn't want _anyone else_ to teach me." She explains. "And I'm so _tired_ of being a damsel in distress."

" _Ok...if that's what you want_." I mumble. What _else_ can I say? Maybe this will keep her safer.

"Hang on." Clarissa remarks – never one to _miss_ anything. "How do you _know_ that Jack's _'so good at it'_ when you've never _seen_ him fight?"

Nikki back-tracks slightly. " _Oooh – whoops!_ " She giggles. "I get _that_ cats out of the bag!"

"What?- you've _seen_ me fight?!" I splutter.

She sighs.

" _When?_ " I demand – racking my brains, trying to remember if I _might_ have seen her there and not realised.

"I've been to _most_ of your fights for the last _two years_." She admits sheepishly - to my astonishment. " _Anyway_ _..._ " She adds. "For a while after Mexico it was the _only_ way I got to see you. It says on the website _who's_ in which fight. It's not difficult to find out when _you're_ fighting."

" _Wha_ -why didn't you _tell_ me?" I ask.

She shrugs. "I knew you _wanted_ me to go and I thought it might _put you off_ if you saw me – so I made sure you _didn't_. Now you _know_."

After a difficult few weeks, this has _absolutely_ made my day – not only is Nikki awake and seems ok, but she's been _secretly_ watching me fight – something I've _wanted_ pretty much _ever since_ I met her.

And now she wants me to _teach_ her. The fire in her eyes has _reignited_ and her _zest_ for life is as strong as ever.

 _My little_ _tigress has her fight back_.


End file.
